Published: Friday, March 22, 2013 at 3:15 a.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, March 23, 2013 at 1:46 a.m.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Just before the start of Spartanburg Methodist's opening game in the NJCAA tournament, a woman came up and tapped head coach Jeff Brookman on the shoulder.

“We've been praying for you,” she said. “We've been praying really hard.”

SMC, boosted by loyal supporters from the Methodist community not only in Hutchinson but as far away as Wichita and beyond, made it to the Final Four of the 24-team junior college tournament. The local fans, many of them senior citizens, wearing their blue “Fear the Pioneers” T-shirts, hold up signs and cheer for their adopted team.

“This has been a lot of fun,” said the Rev. Mark Conard, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson. “It's something that the Methodists can get together and do. We have people from congregations all over. This is our thing and we're having a good time.”

The relationship began last year when SMC made the national tournament for the first time since 1999. School president Colleen Keith said they reached out to find support.

“All I asked was that they made it known to the congregations that there was going to be a Methodist college out there,” Keith said. “They went above and beyond. They really got into it. … Mark is the one who spearheaded it. Church people have shown up at the hotel with drinks and snacks. Kids have made cards. It's been amazing.

“Throughout this season, we've nurtured that relationship. We include them in mailings and emails. We let them know that they are family.”

Last year, Keith sent boxes of T-shirts, whatever the school had on hand.

This year, with SMC having wrapped up a spot weeks ago by winning the Region 10 regular season, she had time to print extra T-shirts just like the ones the players wore in pregame warm-ups.

This year, the church-goers followed closely as SMC made it to a No. 1 ranking in the country, finished the regular season undefeated, won the league tournament as well and came to Hutchinson as the No. 2 seed of the big tournament.

Methodists would have taken the SMC team under their wings no matter what. But they were happy to learn that the Pioneers are more than just good basketball players.

“Without being stereotypical about it, they are fine young men,” Conard said. “I like the way they play because they do it with discipline and tenacity and teamwork. But they seem to have those same qualities in their everyday lives.”

The day after arrival here in Hutchinson, the SMC team went to worship service at the First United Methodist Church, which had a welcoming sign out front. Conard even worked the Pioneers into the message.

“The sermon was about casual conversations and not-so-casual conversations,” Conard said. “So I just talked about the issue of ranking and seeding. Depending on whom you talk to, that's more than a casual conversation. They knew what I was talking about. Most of the people in the church are up to speed on NJCAA basketball, so they knew what was going on, too.”

Conard said there wasn't a conflict of interest in rooting for an out-of-town team when Hutchinson Community College also made the tournament as one of the best teams in the country. There was plenty of love and support to go around, he said.

“I did have people tell me, ‘We'll cheer for Spartanburg unless they meet up with Hutch,' ” Conard said. “That would have been in the championship game. If that had happened, it would have been me with a crowd of nobody cheering for Spartanburg.”

Conard said he and other members of the church have said that part of the appeal regarding SMC is that, despite the No. 1 ranking, the Pioneers are widely considered underdogs here because of the school's size.

“We all know what happened in the story of David, right?” he said. “I've heard many times that they're not that good, that the competition they face isn't that strong. Most of those people who were saying that aren't playing anymore.”

<p>HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Just before the start of Spartanburg Methodist's opening game in the NJCAA tournament, a woman came up and tapped head coach Jeff Brookman on the shoulder.</p><p>“We've been praying for you,” she said. “We've been praying really hard.”</p><p>SMC, boosted by loyal supporters from the Methodist community not only in Hutchinson but as far away as Wichita and beyond, made it to the Final Four of the 24-team junior college tournament. The local fans, many of them senior citizens, wearing their blue “Fear the Pioneers” T-shirts, hold up signs and cheer for their adopted team.</p><p>“This has been a lot of fun,” said the Rev. Mark Conard, pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Hutchinson. “It's something that the Methodists can get together and do. We have people from congregations all over. This is our thing and we're having a good time.”</p><p>The relationship began last year when SMC made the national tournament for the first time since 1999. School president Colleen Keith said they reached out to find support.</p><p>“All I asked was that they made it known to the congregations that there was going to be a Methodist college out there,” Keith said. “They went above and beyond. They really got into it. … Mark is the one who spearheaded it. Church people have shown up at the hotel with drinks and snacks. Kids have made cards. It's been amazing.</p><p>“Throughout this season, we've nurtured that relationship. We include them in mailings and emails. We let them know that they are family.”</p><p>Last year, Keith sent boxes of T-shirts, whatever the school had on hand. </p><p>This year, with SMC having wrapped up a spot weeks ago by winning the Region 10 regular season, she had time to print extra T-shirts just like the ones the players wore in pregame warm-ups.</p><p>This year, the church-goers followed closely as SMC made it to a No. 1 ranking in the country, finished the regular season undefeated, won the league tournament as well and came to Hutchinson as the No. 2 seed of the big tournament.</p><p>Methodists would have taken the SMC team under their wings no matter what. But they were happy to learn that the Pioneers are more than just good basketball players.</p><p>“Without being stereotypical about it, they are fine young men,” Conard said. “I like the way they play because they do it with discipline and tenacity and teamwork. But they seem to have those same qualities in their everyday lives.”</p><p>The day after arrival here in Hutchinson, the SMC team went to worship service at the First United Methodist Church, which had a welcoming sign out front. Conard even worked the Pioneers into the message.</p><p>“The sermon was about casual conversations and not-so-casual conversations,” Conard said. “So I just talked about the issue of ranking and seeding. Depending on whom you talk to, that's more than a casual conversation. They knew what I was talking about. Most of the people in the church are up to speed on NJCAA basketball, so they knew what was going on, too.”</p><p>Conard said there wasn't a conflict of interest in rooting for an out-of-town team when Hutchinson Community College also made the tournament as one of the best teams in the country. There was plenty of love and support to go around, he said.</p><p>“I did have people tell me, 'We'll cheer for Spartanburg unless they meet up with Hutch,' ” Conard said. “That would have been in the championship game. If that had happened, it would have been me with a crowd of nobody cheering for Spartanburg.”</p><p>Conard said he and other members of the church have said that part of the appeal regarding SMC is that, despite the No. 1 ranking, the Pioneers are widely considered underdogs here because of the school's size.</p><p>“We all know what happened in the story of David, right?” he said. “I've heard many times that they're not that good, that the competition they face isn't that strong. Most of those people who were saying that aren't playing anymore.”</p>